1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power supply device with a redundant structure and containing plural sets of power supply circuit units and adapter cards.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power supply as shown in FIG. 2 has been proposed for disk enclosure devices, although no publication of such system is known. The disk enclosure device (DES) 10′ includes two power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17, two adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ and a backboard (BB) 8′. The backboard (BB) 8′ is interposed between the power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 and adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ and respectively connected to each of them by the connectors 9, 19, 20′, 30′. This structure allows the operation to continue even if one unit among the power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 and adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ breaks down. In other words, the disk enclosure device possesses a redundant structure to ensure a stable supply of power.
More specifically, a power supply unit (PS0) 7 and a backboard (BB) 8′ are connected by a connector 9; a power supply unit (PS1) 17 and a backboard (BB) 8′ are connected by a connector 19; an adapter card (ADP0) 41′ and a backboard (BB) 8′ are connected by a connector 20′; and an adapter card (ADP1) 42′ and a backboard (BB) 8′ are connected by a connector 30′. The backboard (BB) 8′ has the power supply line pattern so that power is supplied from the power supply unit (PS0) 7 to both the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′; and power is supplied from the power supply unit (PS1) 17 to both the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ in the same way. In other words, the power supply line pattern on the backboard (BB) 8′ includes a first linear pattern from the power supply unit (PS0) 7 to adapter card (ADP0) 41′; and a second linear pattern from the power supply unit (PS1) 17 to the adapter card (ADP1) 42′; and a third linear pattern intersecting these two linear patterns. The connectors 9, 19, 20′, and 30′ are here each utilized to make up one power supply line pattern from either a first or a second linear pattern.
The adapter card (ADP0) 41′ is structured so that a hot swap circuit (Hot Swap0) 5, a diode 3, and a DC/DC converter (DD Con) 2 are each directly connected from the input side and the DC/DC converter (DD Con) 2 outputs the power supplied from the power supply line pattern on the backboard (BB) 8′ via each component. The adapter card (ADP1) 42′ is structured in the same way, with a hot swap circuit (Hot Swap0) 15, a diode 13, and a DC/DC converter (DD Con) 12 each directly connected from the input side and the DC/DC converter (DD Con) 12 outputs the power supplied from the power supply line pattern on the backboard (BB) 8′ via each component.
In the disk enclosure device (DES) 10′ with this type of structure, if an electrical short for example occurs between the power supply and GND (ground) due to a problem or breakdown for example in the adapter card (ADP0) 41′, then the hot swap circuit (HOT SWAP0) 5 detects the excessive current and stops the output so that the adapter card (ADP0) 41′ operation stops. It gives no effect, however, on the adapter card (ADP1) 42′ and the power supply continues. Consequently, normal operation can continue. This continuation of normal operation is achieved since the entire device has a redundant structure.
In the case that an electrical short between the power supply and GND (ground) occurred in the same way due to a problem or breakdown for example in the adapter card (ADP1) 42′, then the hot swap circuit (HOT SWAP0) 15 detects the excessive current and stops the output so that the adapter card (ADP1) 42′ operation stops. This gives no effect however on the adapter card (ADP0) 41′ and the supply of power continues. Consequently, normal operation can continue. This continuation of normal operation is achieved since the entire device has a redundant structure.
When an electrical short occurs between the power supply and GND due to a problem within the power supply unit (PS0) 7 stopping the output of the unit (PS0) 7, then the flow of current from the power supply unit (PS1) 17 can be prevented due to a diode mounted on the output of the power supply unit (PS0) 7 and the power supply unit (PS1) 17 continues to supply power. Consequently, normal operation can continue since the entire device has a redundant structure.
Even in the case that an electrical short occurs between the power supply and GND due to a problem within the power supply unit (PS1) 17 stopping the output of the unit (PS1) 17, the diode mounted on the output of the power supply unit (PS1) 17 prevents the inflow of current from the power supply unit (PS0) 7. And the power supply unit (PS0) 7 continues to supply power. Consequently, normal operation can continue since the entire device has a redundant structure.
The hot swap function for the hot swap circuits (HOT SWAP0) 5, 15 on the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ here is disclosed in the known art such as in JP-A No. 519837/2003 (see abstract), etc.
As shown in FIG. 2, the disk enclosure device (DES) 10′ can continue to supply normal power when one of the two power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 and the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ becomes defective. However, when a pin in the connector 9 of the power supply unit (PS0) 7 or the connector 19 of the power supply unit (PS1) 17 for example becomes bent and an electrical short occurs between the power supply and GND, then power cannot be supplied and the entire disk enclosure device operation stops. The operation stops because both of the two power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 detect the excessive current and stop outputting power. So the supply of power to the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ ends. When in the same way, a pin become bent on the connector 20′ of the adapter card (ADP0) 41′ or on the connector 30′ of the adapter card (ADP1) 42′ causing an electrical short between the power supply and GND, then, again, the two power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 detect excessive current and the supply of power to the two adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′ stops. So the entire disk enclosure device operation stops.
In other words, the disk enclosure device (DES) 10′ of the related art has the problem that when any of the connectors 9, 19, 20′, 30′ becomes defective between the two power supply units (PS0, PS1) 7, 17 and the adapter cards (ADP0, ADP1) 41′, 42′, and the backboard (BB) 8′, and causes an electrical short between the power supply and GND, then the operation of the entire device stops. So the safe operation cannot be guaranteed.